Three-time continental champions Pohang Steelers opened the 2012 Asian Champions League group stage with a convincing 3-0 away win over 2008 winners Gamba Osaka on Tuesday.

In Group F, FC Tokyo won 2-0 away at Brisbane and Ulsan held off Beijing Guoan 2-1 at home.

Bani Yas of the United Arab Emirates made an impressive start, beating Qatari Al Arabi 2-0 in a Group B match. The other UAE club, Al Jazira, had their Group A match at Nasaf of Uzbekistan postponed because of snow.

Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia routed Pakhtakor of Uzbekistan 4-0 in the other Group B clash.

"We played so badly tonight that I want to apologise to the fans"

Gamba coach Jose Carlos Serrao

In Osaka, Pohang's Kim Tae-su opened the scoring with a 19th-minute header in the Group E match and Zoran Rendulic made it 2-0 for the powerful South Korean club three minutes later when goalkeeper Yosuke Fujigaya's attempted clearance hit the Serbian defender and deflected into goal.

Veteran Ghana forward Derek Asamoah put the result beyond doubt for Pohang in the 79th minute.

Pohang, Asian club champions in 1997, '98 and 2009, had to come through a qualifying playoff win over Chonburi of Thailand to reach the group stage, while Gamba qualified automatically by placing third in the J-League.

"We played so badly tonight that I want to apologise to the fans,'' said Jose Carlos Serrao, the Brazilian who has replaced Akira Nishino as Gamba coach.

"We had two chances before our opponents took the lead but could not take them. We have a lot to work on if we want to advance past the group stage.''

Ariajasuru Hasegawa made it 2-0 in the 55th when he knocked in the rebound after Brisbane goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos parried a shot from Nahya Naotake in wet and slippery conditions at Suncorp Stadium.

At Ulsan, Kim Shin-wook and Ko Seul-ki gave the Korean club a 2-0 halftime lead with goals in the 25th and 35th minutes. Cheng Piao pulled one back for Beijing in the 51st but the Chinese club were unable to find an equaliser inthe last 40 minutes.

Bani Yas are making their debut in the competition but inexperience didn't show. Captain Yousef Jaber scored a penalty in the 45th minute, after Abdulaziz al-Sulaiti had tripped Fareed Ismail in the box.

Spanish midfielder Fran Yeste doubled the lead when he received a pass from striker Andre Senghor and slotted the ball into the net in the 77th minute.

Al Ittihad striker Faouzi opened the scoring in the third minute, midfielder Mohammed Abusabaan added a double in the 30th and 51st minutes, and Abdullah Omar completed the scoring in the 58th.

Al Ittihad, who reached the semifinals last year, have hosted Pakhtakor six times in the Asian Champions League and never lost.